Take a break from winter in sunny Arizona

Mesa and Phoenix have much more to offer than desert views. You can get your game on with golf, take in art, tour a famous home or learn more about history.

Deborah Elovic

Mesa and Phoenix have much more to offer than desert views. You can get your game on with golf, take in art, tour a famous home or learn more about history.

It may be snowy and cold at home, but in Phoenix, the sun is shining, and more than 200 golf courses await. And golf is not the only thing to do in this desert city. Phoenix is the perfect place to contemplate nature, catch up on American Indian history, or go New Age in Sedona. Even if you don’t fancy a dusty jeep ride through the desert, there is plenty of cool culture, artsy shopping and swanky spas.

Golf

In Phoenix, playing golf is taken to a higher level, beyond the basics of great golf courses and good weather. First, there is the immense choice of courses, from reliable municipal ones to championship fairways designed by famous golfers like Arnold Palmer.

Then, there are the nifty accessories, such as customized golf fitness regimens and yoga for golfers offered at the opulent resorts of greater Phoenix. Finally, there are services such as rental equipment, online reservations, and just about any other amenity needed for a great golf vacation.

Desert blooms

Phoenix lies in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by jagged mountains, and there’s nothing like a desert sunset of purple and pink hues to refresh the senses.

Spring is a colorful time to see the desert in bloom. At the Desert Botanical Garden, you can contemplate cacti and 50,000 desert plants or learn about edible desert plants on the “Taste of the Desert” tour.

For the adventurous, there are desert jeep tours, plenty of hiking trails, horseback riding and ballooning.

Culture and architecture

There is plenty of culture, nightlife and architecture to keep you busy (and cool) in the “Valley of the Sun,” as Phoenix is nicknamed.

The heart of downtown is known as Copper Square, and this 90-block area bubbles with museums such as the Arizona Science Center, theaters, restaurants and historic homes. If timing is right, join the First Friday Art Walk, a self-guided tour of 80 galleries, studios and art spaces, all accessible with a shuttle bus service. The beautiful Phoenix Art Museum makes for a refreshing artistic break as well. For something exotic, enjoy the public tea ceremonies at the Japanese Friendship Garden.

Architecture lovers, rejoice. Just a half-hour outside of Phoenix, in Scottsdale, is Taliesin West, the winter residence of Frank Lloyd Wright, founder of Prairie style architecture. This awe-inspiring place demonstrates architecture in harmony with nature.

American Indian culture

Arizona is home to 21 American Indian tribes, and Greater Phoenix is well-situated to begin a journey to learn more about the 300,000 people who make up these tribes. The Heard Museum is an outstanding place to start. It displays textiles, pottery, jewelry and more that give you insight into American Indian ways of life.

The katsina doll collection is beautiful and educational. These painted wooden dolls made by members of the Hopi tribe depict hundreds of different spirits, and the rainmakers, so essential in the Arizona desert.

To learn more:

arizonaguide.com

visitphoenix.com

phxart.org

heard.org

franklloydwright.org

dbg.org

Don’t Miss:

- The Grand Canyon: One of the seven wonders of the world; a four-hour drive from Phoenix.

- Spiritual Sedona: Some go for the New Age spiritualism and the red rock vortex, but the vistas are magical even without the mysticism; a two-hour drive from Phoenix.

Rockford Women

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.